What does it look like?

People with Health Anxiety Disorder have an obsessive and irrational worry about having a serious medical condition. It's also called illness anxiety, and was formerly called hypochondria. This condition is marked by a person's imagination of physical symptoms of illness.

Who is affected?

Health Anxiety Disorder is very common. Approximately 3% of the general population have generalized anxiety disorder in any given year. That is about 200,000 individuals a year.

Where does it come from?

Usually there’s a kind of genetic predisposition that was just waiting for something to bring it to the forefront.

When does it happen?

Health Anxiety Disorder is typically more prevalant in Adults.

How do we treat it?

The most effective treatment is Cognitive Behavior Therapy with problem solving skills training. CBT aims to help you overcome fears by correcting irrational thoughts and changing problematic behaviors. By acquiring a certain mindset, you can learn to approach anxious situations differently and learn to tolerate the anxiety and uncertainty.  Some relaxation techniques are also used in treatment.